


cyclone debbie // 사이클론 데비

by potatogarden



Category: ENHYPEN (Band)
Genre: Adjusting To A New Life, Anxiety, BRISSSYYYYY, Casual racism here and there because aussies, Coming Out, Culture Shock, Fluff and Angst, Homophobia, Hoon is a fob, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, No smut in this one lads, Panic Attacks, Soulmates, Teen Romance, There's some Korean dialogue :), a bunch of aussie slang and references, early childhood pressures, it's set in Jake's highschool, rated mature due to all the cussing and derogatory jokes, translated ofc, us aussies swear a lot, will update tags as I post
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:16:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28933143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potatogarden/pseuds/potatogarden
Summary: Based on the krps soulmate rain!au/레인버스: When your everyday hearing is fine, but on rainy days the only sound you are able to hear is the voice of your soulmate. How loudly or softly you hear their voice depends on the intensity of rainfall.-“한국사람?”(Korean?).Although the pronunciation was clumsy, the mellow voice was like a familiar greeting for Sunghoon. The owner of that voice, Jake, didn’t look like a typical Korean though. He was a lot tanner thanks to the Aussie sun, his hair wasn’t the ubiquitous bowl cut that every Korean highschooler wore either. A large sweat patch had formed on the back of Jake’s shirt, perspiration trickling from his sideburns and he reeked of Lynx deodorant.
Relationships: Park Sunghoon & Shim Jaeyoon | Jake, Park Sunghoon/Shim Jaeyoon | Jake
Comments: 41
Kudos: 63





	1. Chapter 1

_Based on the krps soulmate rain!au/레인버스: When your everyday hearing is fine, but on rainy days the only sound you are able to hear is the voice of your soulmate. How loudly or softly you hear their voice depends on the intensity of rainfall._

[♫](https://youtu.be/Vie4FKNvZMA)

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“I feel so off what the fuck?” Jake ran his fingers through his dark hair in frustration as he watched the ball skim past the left goal post for the third time. 

He felt sorry for his friend Shane who repeatedly ran down the hill behind the goal to retrieve the ball. 

“Last one, Jake and we’ll call it a morning yeah?” Shane huffed, awarding him the thumbs up then lobbed the ball over to his sulking team mate.

_Aight._ Jake planted the ball onto the dewy grass and took four equal strides from its edge. He began his slow run-up, the cleats of his left boot plunging into the small patch of dirt that he had constantly dug up during his penalty kick cool downs. A solid punch through the ball sent it flying towards the top left corner of the net - straight into the gloves of a chuckling goalkeeper. 

“Sorry, I think I’m too good for ya,” Shane cheekily grinned as he jogged up to a scowling Jake with the ball snug under his arm. 

Official soccer training didn’t start until the second week of school, but Jake and Shane wanted to get their routine going as soon as possible from day one. It was like an annual reminder for Jake in realising how unfit he had become over the summer holidays. He considered skipping every second week of church to go for a run but he knew his parents wouldn’t be too keen on that idea.

The 8:45am sun was strong and not uncommon on this February morning. The air was humid too as it had rained the previous night, but not enough to create puddles on the school field and cancel their impromptu training session. “Silent, as usual?” Shane nudged Jake in the rib teasingly.

“Oi we get it, no need to rub it into my single face,” Jake rolled his eyes - he had enough of this cunt ogling about some girl’s voice he had heard since the new year’s party, something Jake couldn’t be bothered to attend.

“I don’t know man, what if she’s one of the homeless people I randomly saw on the way home for fuck’s sake,” his friend let out a nervous chuckle, as they filled their water bottles at the bubblers outside the boy’s changeroom. 

“At least you know you got a soulmate,” retorted Jake as he rolled up his sleeves so that his sports polo looked like an altered singlet. One of his new year’s resolutions was to get rid of his horrid shirt tan - and maybe, to find out if his soulmate existed. He knew he was stretching it - it was a little naive to think he didn’t have one yet. Besides he hadn’t travelled away from Brisbane much often, sort of staying within the vicinity of his home suburb. 

Shane was super lucky he’d found his soulmate somewhere close by, and at a young age too. People usually heard their soulmates voices around their twenties to thirties but _geez,_ thinking about how this kid could be spending his adolescence with his significant other made him jealous. Maybe he needed to go out more, expose himself to more girls. But as an introverted sixteen year old what much could he do? He wasn’t equipped physically or mentally to venture out and seek ‘the one’.

His shoulders were starting to burn up, jolting him out of his rumination. “Does that actually work?” Shane mumbled with a mouthful of water, his bottle already half empty.

“Well, you’re white Shazz you just burn,” Jake shrugged as he watched his friend splutter with laughter.

“Hey he’s pretty white for an Asian. You reckon he burns too?” Shane nodded towards the bus bay across the field. 

The last school bus had arrived with students spilling out of the exit doors as they hurried for their first roll call of the year. Amongst the sea of juniors with oversized uniforms billowing and lugging their bags behind them, was indeed the palest Asian that Jake had ever seen. He was a bit too tall to be one of those year 7 kids. Perhaps a transfer in his year?

And Jake’s intuition was spot on. Said transfer was sitting beside him in roll call. His uniform had that dusty but ‘brand new’ smell; his shirt an even whiter ‘white’ than Jake’s; the maroon of his tie and long socks weren’t faded like his too. The first thing he noticed off the bat were the moles on his face, then his black hair which was a little shorter at the front and longer at the back with a few strands reaching his collar, passing the school grooming requirements. 

Jake tried very hard not to look at him too much, but his curiosity heightened even more as the teacher absolutely butchered his name, “Soonghoone Park?”

“Sunghoon.” His voice was clear but had an underlying weariness to it.

“Are you Korean?” Jake suddenly faced him, startling the literal stranger as well as himself by his burst of confidence that jumped out of the blue.

“Jake Sim,” called the teacher.

“Here!” Jake raised his hand eagerly and immediately cringed as the teacher berated him for being disruptive. Apologising with his eyes, he then turned to Sunghoon once more but with a hand hovering over his mouth as he whispered, “한국사람?” _(Korean?)_.

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###  **cyclone debbie [1]**

##### 사이클론 데비 

The hardest part of moving away from home wasn’t even the farewells. Packing his suitcase was like packing away the struggles of his childhood; waving his goodbyes to his parents and sister was merely him embracing the early stages of independence. 

The ten hour flight was severely jet-lagging, resulting in Sunghoon to conk out in his uncle’s car straight away as they drove towards the CBD. He knew that his uncle had emigrated from Korea a year or two ago with his newlywed wife - a new beginning for a new family. Unfortunately his wife was uncomfortable with taking Sunghoon in and they resorted to student accommodation in the heart of Brisbane, relying on the monthly allowances sent from his parents to deal with his rent and living expenses. Boarding was an alternative, but Sunghoon did not appreciate the lack of eastern cuisine on the school cafeteria menu. It seemed like a trivial reason but homesickness was really something else. 

The initial culture shock wasn’t too bad. Apart from the traffic being on the opposite side of the road, the fact that the majority of people walking the streets were Caucasian was something he was going to get used to. Here in Australia, strangers looked even more like strangers. Sunghoon was aware that his English needed to be up to scratch, but that was the least of his worries - that’s why he arrived here in the first place anyway. 

What dreaded him the most was the chances of meeting his soulmate were a new low. He understood it was premature to discover his soulmate at his age, but leaving the comfort of his culture at said age to pursue his studies in English - he just knew he wouldn’t be prioritising in searching for his soulmate within the next couple of years.

When Sunghoon had stepped out of the bus and onto the school grounds, all these unprecedented worries surged through his mind. The thoughts of adjusting to a blazing hot summer right after a white winter at home, the different style of uniform with shorts and knee high socks instead of long trousers and of course, the anxiety of making new friends with a slight language barrier. Although the last could be disregarded.

“한국사람?” _(Korean?)._

Even though the pronunciation was clumsy, the mellow voice was like a familiar greeting for Sunghoon. The owner of that voice, Jake, didn’t look like a typical Korean though. He was a lot tanner thanks to the Aussie sun, his hair wasn’t the ubiquitous bowl cut that every Korean highschooler wore either. A large sweat patch had formed on the back of Jake’s shirt, perspiration trickling from his sideburns and he reeked of Lynx deodorant. 

Sunghoon gave a timid nod, “You too? You’re Korean?”

_Ah,_ his English pronunciation was a little off too but he would be working on it for the years to come anyhow. 

Jake looked a little surprised, as if he expected to hear him respond in Korean instead. Well, he could be Australian like him, but to be fair Sunghoon didn’t sound like he was from here. 

“Yeah, 심재윤! 내 한국 이름.” _(Yeah, Shim Jaeyun! My Korean name.)_

“아 반가워! 난 박성훈. 그리고 영어로 말해도 돼.” _(Ah nice to meet you! I’m Park Sunghoon. Also you can speak in English by the way)._ Sunghoon grinned awkwardly but it was amicable. “I’m trying to get better at English, that’s why I came to Australia.” 

“Ah that makes so much sense…”

They rose from their tables as the bell for first period rang. Jake would usually head off with his soccer mates but he wanted to continue his conversation with Sunghoon, and luckily for him they had chosen the same subjects for Year 11 which carried onto Year 12, which meant their timetables were identical. He swore he wasn’t this talkative towards strangers, but having a fellow Asian, a Korean guy, around was nice. It was like having his older brother as a friend, although it was definitely hasty to call Sunghoon a friend yet or assume he was older.

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“Hey my friend and I are gonna play pool in the city, you wanna come?” 

“Sure.” Sunghoon shrugged, it was in the same direction as home and it would be awkward to take the same bus but not go. Besides he had nothing else to do at home, no homework was given out since it was the first day and all, his fridge was packed with groceries and he sort of knew how to play pool too.

The bus stank of pungent body odour even though the aircon was on full blast. Students piled on one by one, heading to their seats in their established cliques. Sunghoon followed Jake towards the back and sat next to him quickly before a junior could take his spot. 

“Who is your other friend?” Sunghoon enquired.

“Ah his name’s Shane, we play soccer together. He’s one of my closest friends.” Jake sighed a breath of relief as he untucked his white shirt from his trousers and loosened his tie.

“Who are your other friends then?” Sunghoon observed Jake and followed suit, taking out his shirt and immediately feeling the air conditioned wind cool the skin underneath.

“Um there’s Michael and Brodie. I play soccer with them too but I’m not in any of their classes this year either. So I don’t know…” Jake scratched his head, his long black hair a little tousled, “I don’t really talk to them about a lot of things, mainly just soccer haha. I guess I’m closest to Shane at the moment.”

“I see. Same here. I only have a few friends back in Korea, but I don’t actively reach out to them. I mean, I don’t think they know I’m in Australia.”

Jake saw Sunghoon’s lips pull into a smile but his eyes were expressing otherwise. He felt a small pang in his chest, as if he was simulating Sunghoon’s emotions then and there. 

“Same…”

A mutual tiredness was felt by the two boys, as the bus rumbled along a bridge across the Brisbane river. Sunghoon looked out the window and took in the buildings, the ferris wheel and the muddy brown water of the river. Brisbane wasn’t big but it had an unusual homeliness to it - slow and relaxed. He was glad his first school day passed like a breeze. The night before he had worried about getting lost and arriving late to classes but thankfully, Jake was there to orientate him and he was nice enough to accompany him during recess and lunch too. 

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.

Shane was already waiting, and he waved at Jake before briefly pointing at Sunghoon, “Oh hey you brought him. The name’s Shane by the way.” 

It was the first time Sunghoon shook hands with a foreigner. He chuckled a little since technically he was the foreigner here. “Nice to meet you, I’m Sunghoon.”

“Jake said you’re a fob, I mean you look like one yeah but you don’t sound like it. How long have ya been here?”

Sunghoon raised a confused brow as he tried to decipher his strong Aussie accent. Jake elbowed Shane in the ribs, “He’s been here for three weeks.”

“Huh okay cool. You good at pool?”

Sunghoon was neither good nor horrible at pool, just decent enough to enjoy a good game with his friends back in Korea after school. However the way Jake’s eyes were wide open and his mouth was agape as he watched him pocket the 8-ball effortlessly, put a proud smile on Sunghoon’s face.

“You’re really fucking good at this Hoon,” Shane hummed in defeat as he collected the five stripes that remained on the pool table, “I got fucking shredded.”

Sunghoon let out a small laugh as he helped gather the balls into the rack, “I could teach you if you want.”

“Wait can you teach me? I want Shane to stop kicking my arse everytime we come here.”

He looked over to Jake who was furiously rubbing chalk over his cue stick, his eyes now sharp with determination. 

“귀엽네…” _(Cute…)_ Sunghoon muttered lightheartedly, as he stood beside Jake who was in position to break. He noticed the fingers of Jake’s left hand were twisted in some strange arrangement. Sunghoon leaned over a little and reached for his fingers, adjusting their position into an open bridge, and then placed his right hand over Jake’s ensuring his forearm was perpendicular to the cue stick. 

“I need you to relax this right hand and when you hit the ball I want you to follow through with the stick.” Sunghoon helped Jake mimic the motion before he stepped back.

Jake nodded and crouched slightly as he focused on the white ball, subconsciously biting his lower lip. Sunghoon and Shane watched silently as Jake did the backhand motion, before bursting into hysterics as he had managed to jab at the air above the ball instead, completely missing it.

“Argh!!” Jake messed his hair with his hands, before flopping over the pool table in a mini tantrum. “Screw this, let’s go to the arcade.”

Shane was still wheezing uncontrollably, his hands clutching at his stomach even as they exited the pool place, and Sunghoon had his hand over his mouth as he recovered from his laughter so he wouldn’t embarrass Jake too much.

The trio then made their way to the arcade which was conveniently located next door. _Huh, Brisbane was small, not as compact, but it had everything like in Korea._ Sunghoon was trailing behind them lost in his thoughts, but soon felt an arm around his shoulder and he was pulled beside Jake, the scent of his deodorant strong...but not so unpleasant.

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###  **cyclone debbie [1]**

##### 사이클론 데비 


	2. Chapter 2

[ ♫ ](https://youtu.be/cpU7Yrl-AwM)

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“Why do you play her?” 

“I don’t know I just like her combos the most.” Jake slurped his soup and added, “Also she’s pretty.” 

“You mean you like her tit physics,” Shane rolled his eyes. “By the way Hoon, Asuka is like F tier.”

Jake mouthed a silent ‘fuck you’ at Shane before swallowing another spoonful of his beef rib stew and turned to Sunghoon, “Did you choose Hwoarang because he’s Korean?”

“Oh he’s Korean? I just thought he looked cool,” mumbled Sunghoon, his mouth full of rice.

Their conversation about Tekken had carried on from their session at the arcade, which involved Jake getting absolutely rolled by Shane but redeeming himself against Sunghoon, a video game noob. Now the three boys were seated at a Korean restaurant, one of Jake’s recommendations. He had rambled on about how Sunghoon would like it because, despite it being pricey due to its prime location in the city, the food resembled his mum’s cooking better than the others. Sunghoon was genuinely thankful for Jake’s consideration - it was as if he’d known that he was prone to homesickness. 

“Hoon, that’s an American accent you got there hey?” Shane asked, watching Sunghoon nod while the latter scraped at the remaining grains of rice stuck to the base of his bowl.

“It’s smexy~” Jake wiggled his eyebrows, earning an amused laugh from the other Korean.

“No, I think the Australian accent is cooler.”

Shane let out a snort, “Ya really think my white bogan accent is hot?!!”

“It’s unique! I like it!” Sunghoon chortled along with Shane, he really was a mood maker and he was glad that Jake had a friend like him. He felt so comfortable even in such a foreign environment and he was also surprised by Shane’s spice tolerance.

“Lads I gotta jet. Needa pick my sister up from preschool,” Shane stood up from his seat, bumping his fist against Jake and Sunghoon’s shoulders. “It was good to meet you Hoon, catch you guys at school.” 

There was a brief silence after Shane left the restaurant. Sunghoon was a fast eater, and he didn’t know what to do with his eyes so he decided to watch Jake finish the rest of his meal. Their past few hours together he learnt that Jake was stubborn. He was also competitive, always up for a challenge but he gave up easily when things didn’t go his way. Those small irritated outbursts when Jake missed the break in pool and lost to Shane in that fighting game, reminded of himself during his middle school days. 

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###  **cyclone debbie [2]**

##### 사이클론 데비

It was the turning point where a hobby started to become a task, the fun in taking lessons dissipating. Figure skating was once his mode of escapism, to free his mind from the hardships of being teased for his lazy eye, to distract himself from the pressures of school. Gliding at high speeds and feeling the cold, crisp wind on his face was exhilarating. It was a mistake to have pursued it further than what should have been a simple, therapeutic activity.

“성훈아 너 더블악셀 그렇게 하다가 나중에 트리플을 어떻게 할 생각이야?”  
 _(Sunghoon if you keep doing your double axels like that, how are you going to manage triples?)._

He remembered being chided by his mother for the umpteenth time that day.

“죄송해요...더 연습할게요.” _(I’m sorry...I’ll practise more)._

“다섯번 해.” _(Do it five times)._

Sunghoon recalled chewing on his lip until he could taste blood. “...싫어요” _(...Don’t want to.)_

“성훈아.” _(Sunghoon)._ His mother was getting impatient, her voice had an added sternness to it.

“집에 가고 싶어요!” _(I want to go home!)_ Sunghoon had yelled in protest, raising his leg and chipping the ice with the end of his blade in sheer frustration.

He recalled feeling guilty right afterwards for his disrespectful tone, “죄송해요.” _(I’m sorry)._

Another familiar voice from the past entered his headspace next. It possessed a similar disapproving tone, but it wasn’t as soft as his mother’s. It was outright cold.

“아니, 형 게이였어?!!”  
 _(Wait, hyung, you’re gay?!!)._

“미안해 정원아. 그냥...네가 날 밉지 않았으면 좋겠어. 부탁이야.”  
 _(I’m sorry Jungwon. I just...don’t want you to hate me. Please.)_

“‘부탁’?? 씨발 아주 골때리네.”  
 _(‘Please’?? Fucking hell I’m speechess.)_

_Ah...somebody please get me out of this hell hole._

_…_

_Sunghoon!_

“야 박성훈!” _(Oi Park Sunghoon!)._ Jake’s salient voice cut through his thoughts and Sunghoon shook his head, orienting his thinking back to the present. He was thankful for the interruption otherwise he may have obsessively spiralled into a whirlpool of negativity. Sunghoon’s expression somehow remained stoic throughout the emotional uproar, the storm cloud of those tumultuous thoughts fading and replaced by those of Jake flailing his hands in his face.

“Okay so, random question,” Jake stopped his gestures once he knew he had Sunghoon’s attention, “Have you found your soulmate yet?”

_This guy._ Sunghoon did not expect to be asked that at all and he was disappointed that Jake decided to bring it up. His fingers began to quiver, unwanted thoughts threatening to intrude his consciousness once again. Reluctantly, he answered, “N-no.”

“Wow same. Shane found his just after new year’s day.” That explained his happy-go-lucky attitude. “He doesn’t know who it is though, he thinks it’s a random homeless person he saw.”

“Did he look into their eyes?” 

“Uhh, I don’t know, don’t think so. Why?” Jake was slightly startled by Sunghoon’s curt reply.

“You know you can only hear your soulmate’s voice after you make eye contact with them, not when you just ‘see’ them?” Sunghoon didn’t mean to spit that last statement out like that, but he felt like his brain was going to bust if this conversation prolonged enough.

“Oh what? Seriously?!”

“Yes, my parents told me.”

  
  
“What?! Lucky. My parents think I’m too young to know about that stuff so...like I know that you can only hear their voice while it rains, and also what you just told me. That’s it.”

“But that’s actually all there is to it though.” He lied, Sunghoon had had enough of this 'soulmate' talk for today.

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“Hey I’m sorry if I sounded rude yesterday,” Sunghoon apologised to Jake who wore a confused expression.

“What happened yesterday? Oh you smashing me in pool? Yeah, that was rude,” Jake shook his head around sarcastically like one of those bobble-head toys and turned back to his workbook leaving Sunghoon scratching his head. He wasn’t sure who was the socially inept one here but shrugged it off anyway as he also resumed the math exercises for that period. 

The pair stuck to each other like glue during school. Despite being strangers since day one, they grew close without much effort seeing as they shared the same classes. The only exception was sport on Wednesday’s after lunch, where Jake successfully made it into the senior’s soccer team, as expected. Sunghoon on the other hand opted for recreational sport, and he wasn’t sure if it was a smart move to choose ice skating. Perfect for the weather though.

He had halted lessons just at the end of last year much to his parents’ dismay, particularly his mother. They respected that he was going through a difficult time mentally however they could not stop themselves from unintentionally making Sunghoon feel bad about his decision. 

Their dinner conversations after Sunghoon’s first cancelled sessions consisted of his mother describing how draining it was to drive him back and forth from the ice rink and how relieved she was for not doing that anymore. Other nights she would drone on about the wasted lesson fees, as well as dismissing Sunghoon for throwing away his potential so easily.

He tightened the laces of his black skates and he stepped out onto the ice, propelling himself with the edge of his skates to a speed he was comfortable with. Since it was a public session during school hours, the rink was not as crowded and the centre was bare as no lessons were being held. 

Amongst the sea of blue rental skates, a pair of black leather ones zipped in and out. Sunghoon effortlessly manoeuvred between the crowds backwards and out of habit he prepped for a simple double flip. He wobbled a little on landing as he skated across a miniature pothole.

_Not bad for a three month ‘hiatus’._ He skated a few laps again, picking up his momentum. He wasn’t used to exerting his muscles after not using them for a while, but he loved the sound of the wind whipping close to his ears every time he lifted off the ice and spun in the air. 

The two hour session passed just like that, and Sunghoon wanted more. He waddled off the ice and sat down to attach the blade covers to his skates. 

“That was amazing! When did you learn to skate like that?” His supervising teacher had walked over to compliment him after yelling at the rest of the students to come off the ice.

“Oh uh, since when I was nine, miss.” Sunghoon mumbled shyly as he sat down and undid his laces next. 

“You are so incredibly talented I couldn’t help but take a video! Would it be okay if I send this off to be published in the school e-newsletter? I think everyone deserves to know the hidden talents of our students...” The teacher rambled on happily about his skating, and the way she smiled, praised him and gave him encouragement even for his mediocre skating was just...

Sunghoon thought he was going to burst into tears then and there.

  
  


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“Oh my god, is that really you?!”

“Yeah…” Sunghoon cringed at the unstable landing of his triple Salchow but he felt his heart warm from Jake’s genuine reactions as he watched the video that was uploaded with the school newsletter the following week.

“Holy shit...you look like a different person. Also why are you so fucking good at everything.”

_And never get better? I don’t know._

“I’m so showing my mum this she’ll fucking love you.” Jake added, “Actually do you wanna chill at my place after school? It’s the weekend anyway and my parents lowkey wanna meet you.” 

“Oh how do they know about me?” Sunghoon raised his brow.

“I talk about you sometimes. So you coming? That’s my bus.” Jake placed his arm around Sunghoon, it was like a habit of his. And whenever he did that, the spicy vanilla fragrance of his deodorant was very prominent.

Jake’s house was a fair fifteen minutes away from school. There was a grassy front yard which was interesting since in Korea there were only apartment buildings and the closest to a front yard Sunghoon had was a balcony strewn with potted plants. This part of Brisbane was peaceful and much more relaxed compared to the city. Knocking on the door, Jake called for his mum and immediately Sunghoon heard the sound of panting and tapping getting closer, followed by a solid thud as it collided with the door.

The door unlocked and a woman with a striking resemblance to Jake, and wearing oven mitts, appeared in the doorway. 

“안녕하세요!” _(Hello!)_ Sunghoon bowed and Jake’s mum smiled as she waved the boys in.

“그래 성훈아 들어와 안에 에어컨 틀었어! 많이 덥지?”  
 _(Sunghoon come on in the aircon’s on! It’s very hot right?)_

Suddenly something small and furry lunged at Sunghoon almost causing him to trip over and a pair of cream coloured paws rested on his thighs. _So cute._ He reached out with his hand, ruffling the dog’s fur on the top of its head. 

“I think Layla likes you, Hoon.”

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.

The things that were noticeable were the Christian paraphernalia that adorned the walls and cupboards. Jake’s mother had asked if he was religious and she was delighted to hear that Sunghoon attended church back in Korea. She had suggested that he should go with Jake to their church, even offering to pick him up from his home every Sunday. Sunghoon politely declined, and before she could ask why, he distracted her with the figure skating video from the newsletter.

And he’d finally got to taste Jake’s mum cooking! She had quickly whipped up a seafood tofu stew on hearing that Jake’s Korean friend was coming over. He helped Jake set up the table and Sunghoon was elated to see the assortment of side dishes including his favourite stir-fried anchovies. 

Only if his mealtimes back home were as pleasant and not so tense.

In Jake’s bedroom, Sunghoon was browsing the framed baby photos on the wall. There was this particular one where little Jake had a crazy sock tan with one thong on his foot, posing with a peace sign at the camera. 

“Why’re you looking at those?” Jake peeped over his shoulder.

“It’s cute. I really like this one, you look like a gremlin,” Sunghoon pointed.

“Pshh. You got any of yours on your phone?”

“I do actually.” Sunghoon took out his phone and showed Jake a photo where he was posing with a phone on his lap.

“Your ears look fucking massive there.”

“Thanks,” Sunghoon laughed at his random observation.

The bedroom door opened and Jake’s mum poked her head through the doorway placing a plate of cut up apples with two forks on the desk. 

“얘들아 오늘 비 온다는데, 성훈이 혼자 돌아가면 위험하니까 데려다줄까?”  
 _(Boys, it says it’s going to rain today, since it’s dangerous to go home by yourself Sunghoon would you like me to drop you off?)._

Sunghoon looked out of the bedroom window briefly and for sure it was overcast, the clouds taking on an ominous greyish tinge. Jake’s mum was right in that walking home alone across the streets of Brisbane at peak hour traffic would be very dangerous since he wouldn’t be able to hear any oncoming cars.

“Mum, can he stay over instead?” Jake asked.

“어 그래! 제윤아 너 파자마 많으니깐 성훈이한테 하나 빌려주라! 그리고 성훈이 니 침대에서 자라고 그래, 게스트잖아. 넌 땅바닥에서 자~!"  
 _(Oh okay! Jaeyun you should lend Sunghoon one of your pyjamas then! Also let Sunghoon sleep on your bed, he’s our guest. You better sleep on the ground tonight~!)_

Jake seemed to read his mother’s mind as he placed a neatly folded pile of navy pyjamas beside him. “There ya go. Also you don’t mind sleeping in the same bed right? We’re dudes.”

“...Sure.”

.

.

.

The double bed that Sunghoon lay in was so much softer on the back than the single mattress back in his unit. Nevertheless, it was weird to have another male casually doze off beside him underneath a singular blanket. Said male turned over, facing Sunghoon and he quickly shut his eyes to feign sleep. 

“Hey by the way,” he felt Jake abruptly sit up on the bed, “You didn’t look too good during dinner after the arcade. You remember? You were so pale dude, you were literally shaking.”

_Ah, was it that noticeable?_ Sunghoon’s mouth twitched a little.

“If it was nothing then sorry I asked. I don’t know why I asked about something that literally happened ages ago, but if something’s up you can talk to me you know...” Jake trailed off as he tiredly adjusted his pillow.

The crickets outside were loud and clear as they chirped without rest, providing a different ambience to the bustling of the city that Sunghoon had just grown used to. It wasn’t raining like it had been forecasted, but the humidity was definitely in the high 90s. Sunghoon was worried that if he brought up his past now, he could be cut off mid conversation. 

Then he heard Jake whisper, “Shit, well, I thought you were awake. Goodnight!” before he felt the mattress sink as he lay back down. 

For some reason, sleep didn’t come easily. Sunghoon wasn’t sure if it was the fact that he was sharing a bed with a guy or just his mouth itching to confide in Jake. He was staring at the ceiling now and it felt like it was closing in on him as if it was going to suffocate him in a few minutes. He closed his eyes briefly and regretted it instantly as he lost coordination of his limbs, it was as if someone had pinned him to the bed. _Fuck,_ he really didn’t want to have an episode of sleep paralysis in someone else’s bed. 

Jake half awoke to a very muted muffle sounding from next to him. He rubbed at his eyes as he turned towards his friend who was hyperventilating and looked like he was struggling against something in his sleep. 

“Hoon. What’s going on?” There was a layer of worry in his words as Sunghoon began to whimper as if he wanted to scream. 

Jake placed his hand on his shoulder and lightly shook him. “Sunghoon. It’s okay I’m here. Sunghoon wake up!” 

Jake ran his fingers through Sunghoon's dark hair, pushing away the strands that stuck to his forehead. He then massaged soft circles on his arms, silently praying for his friend. This continued for a few minutes until Sunghoon's breaths normalised to regular pace, his eyes fluttering open. His pillow was drenched in sweat and he noticed the concerned face of Jake looking down on him instead of his sleep paralysis demon.

He felt tears well up in his eyes in relief. _Thank god it’s over._ He sat up and brought his legs to his chest, his shaking fingers feeling the rapid thumping of his heart. “Jake, can I tell you something?”

“Hoon you can tell me _anything._ People don’t tell me I’m a good listener for nothing” Jake scooted over to put his arms around Sunghoon’s shaking body. In his comforting embrace the scent of coconut shampoo wafted between them instead of the usual deodorant.

“…”

“What is it Hoon?” Jake began to rub at his back reassuringly.

Sunghoon licked his dry lips and cleared his throat. 

“I used to have a soulmate.”

.

.

.

###  **cyclone debbie [2]**

##### 사이클론 데비


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the late update, I was kinda burnt-out and was drawing a lot instead to take my mind off it, but anyhows here's a chapter!  
> Also, again, apologies in advance for grammar mistakes and such because I wrote it in a bit of a rush cus I felt bad.  
> Enjoy! <3

[♫ ](https://youtu.be/pJP4HvvYRjc)

.

.

.

“You’re joking.”

Sunghoon shook his head firmly, “I’m not.”

“But what do you mean by you _used_ to have a soulmate? Don’t people only have one in their whole lives?”

“No.” Sunghoon’s lips pursed into a thin line as he felt guilt wash over him. “Sorry I didn’t tell you the truth earlier after the arcade. There’s actually more to soulmateship than what you currently know.”

“Oh…” Jake trailed off, feeling a bit betrayed that Sunghoon may have distrusted him. 

However he must’ve had his reasons. 

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Jake was all ears, he was always curious about the topic of soulmates and he was also concerned for Sunghoon’s mental wellbeing, bracing himself for a not so positive storytime. He passed his pillow to Sunghoon who accepted it and hugged it like a teddy bear. 

Inhaling deeply, Sunghoon mustered his courage as he prepared himself to reveal a crucial past that had carved his current persona. Crossing his legs, Jake patiently waited as he watched Sunghoon scratch circles into the fabric by his feet.

“It happened in autumn last year.”

.

.

.

###  **cyclone debbie [3]**

##### 사이클론 데비

High pitched laughter and chatter resounded off the stark concrete walls of the hallway. The morning service had just finished and teenagers were making their way outside for lunch. Just before the exit door, a boy was squatting in the corner, making himself invisible to the world as he rested his chin on his arms.

Avoid eye contact as much as possible - that was his immediate goal. 

Twenty three pairs of shoes that Sunghoon had counted. They were all either white Stan Smiths or Fila sneakers, the soles dirtied up by the crunched up leaves that had started to fall.

Sunghoon peeped in between his legs to inspect his brandless flip flops, wiggling his toes inside its white socks. Somehow he knew how to occupy himself during the half hour before the line for lunch got shorter and the tables outside were vacated, so that he could eat without having too many eyes on him.

Today he was especially hungry for some reason, his stomach strongly urging his body to stand and receive his food, but he knew that there were still too many people out there. 

“거기서 뭐해? 밥 안 먹어?”  
 _(What are you doing there? Aren’t you gonna eat?)_

A pair of bare feet in black Nike slides approached him. Sunghoon wasn’t familiar with this voice, not that he really had a proper conversation with anyone in this church. 

He rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. Sunghoon had no desire to respond - he was too lost in his thoughts. 

The Nike slides disappeared but came back and whoever it was crouched down to his eye level, pushing a plate of rice and bowl of seaweed soup towards him. The sound of ceramic grating against concrete wasn’t pleasant, but the gesture was.

“배고프겠다...”  
 _(You must be hungry...)_

Another growl from Sunghoon’s stomach betrayed him as he shook his head, only to have the stranger laugh and sit down next to him. The clinking of a spoon against a bowl and the slurping of soup made Sunghoon hungrier, and he found himself reaching for his plate of food. 

“이름이 뭐야? 나이는?”  
 _(What’s your name? How old are you?)_

A lump formed in Sunghoon’s throat, but he wasn’t sure if it was because he was eating too fast.

“박성훈...열다섯 살…”  
 _(Park Sunghoon...Fifteen…)_

“어? 형이었어?”  
 _(Oh? So you’re my ‘hyung’?)_

He wasn’t sure whether it was a rhetorical question or not, and he decided not to answer anyway, keeping his mouth occupied with another spoonful of rice and soup.

“형 많이 배고팠구나.”  
 _(You were really hungry hey.)_

Sunghoon felt a tap on his arm, and he looked up. 

He shouldn’t have. He really shouldn’t have looked. Who knew he would regret it so much in retrospect?

The boy’s black eyes drilled back into his, creasing a little as he grinned.

“내 이름은 정원이야 형. 양정원.”  
 _(My name is Jungwon, hyung. Yang Jungwon.)_

Jungwon let out a burp as he stood up with his empty plate. He was wearing a blue parka with a taekwondo uniform underneath, a little yellowed and big. A black belt was tied around his waist proudly. 

“다음주에도 봐 성훈이형.”  
 _(I’ll see you next week Sunghoon hyung.)_

The heels of his slides were worn down severely, Sunghoon had just noticed as he eyed the mysterious boy exiting the building. 

He was nice. 

He’d almost forgotten about the plate of food sitting on his lap. The soup was still warm.

Sunghoon liked him. 

.

.

.

In the following weeks he let Jungwon sit next to him and bring lunch over. Initially he was still a bit shy, letting the other boy steer their conversations but he did not discourage Sunghoon from inputting a few phrases at first. Now he could confidently respond in full sentences - he was comfortable being with this guy. He was comfortable going outside with Jungwon and also by himself to grab his lunch.

“어?!! 형 빨리 드루와 비온다!!”  
 _(Oh?!! Hurry hyung come inside, it's raining!!)_

Sunghoon hunched over the two plates to shelter it from the sprinkle of rain as he hurriedly power walked to the building, tapping the dirt off his shoes on the mat before stepping inside. Puddles formed rapidly, and rain began to splosh against the muddied ground, flicking sediment back onto his shoes before he closed the door fully.

“안 흘린게 다행이다.”  
 _(Glad I didn’t spill anything.)_

He huffed and walked towards Jungwon sitting in their usual spot. 

And he was staring, his body backed into the wall. As if in shock.

“형 방금 뭐라고 했어?”  
 _(Hyung what did you just say?)_

Confusion. That’s what Sunghoon felt at first, and a little uneasy. He began to repeat himself.

“안 흘린게 다행-”  
 _(Glad I didn’t spill-)_

A crash followed by a yell. 

Shards of ceramic bounced off the tiled floor, a couple grazing against Sunghoon’s shin. He couldn’t feel the pain because the sound of pouring rain slipping away let that blood curdling scream from Jungwon fill every nook and cranny in his headspace, making him bring his hands over his ears. 

But no matter how hard he squeezed, he could hear Jungwon as clear as a bell.

_I shouldn’t have looked._ It was excruciating.

.

.

.

Sunghoon thought that once you found your soulmate, your future was set on its course - towards happiness. 

Well...

“분명 실수야.”  
 _(This must be a mistake.)_

Not if your soulmate was a suppressed homosexual in denial.

“확실해 정원아?”  
 _(Are you sure Jungwon?)_

Jungwon had calmed down eventually when Sunghoon pleaded - shouted - for him to stop. He swore his ears were going to bleed if he had continued. 

The boy raised his brow, not understanding the meaning behind Sunghoon’s question.

“너...게이-?”  
 _(You’re...not g-)_

Sunghoon was interrupted by a frustrated groan as Jungwon ran his fingers through his hair. The capillaries in his eyes had flared up, the whites now an angry red and Sunghoon dared not to look into them. At the same time he mentally berated himself for making eye contact in the first place. 

“아니, 형 게이였어?!! 처음부터?”  
 _(Wait, hyung, you were gay?!! From the very beginning?)._

He hated how Sunghoon didn’t answer. He hated how he just looked down and didn’t deny the fact right away like he had.

Jungwon hated him.

Playing with his fingers, Sunghoon gathered his courage to speak.

“미안해 정원아. 그냥...네가 날 밉지 않았으면 좋겠어. 부탁이야.”  
 _(I’m sorry Jungwon. I just...don’t want you to hate me. Please.)_

“‘부탁’?? 씨발 아주 골때리네.”  
 _(‘Please’?? Fucking hell I’m speechess.)_

Sunghoon hated himself too, absolutely despised the situation he’d been put in. Unwillingly coming out in a church setting and being _rejected_ by his soulmate. This was seriously the worst.

Fuck soulmates.

.

.

.

“That’s why I’m here. That’s why I moved away.” Sunghoon’s fingers started to shake again so he placed them in his lap in fists. “Jungwon consulted a doctor and he told me that it was possible to revoke soulmateship.”

Jake’s eyes widened. “Wait so you’re saying that you can _cancel_ being soulmates? That’s so...”

“Yeah. Basically he told me we couldn’t see each other physically for at least half a year for it to work. Six full months.”

“That makes so much sense. That’s why they let my dad come back home every five months. To see my mum.” Jake’s lips formed an ‘O’ as he began to comprehend the logistics of soulmateship. It was a lot more sophisticated than what his parents briefly introduced him to.

“Also I refused to go to church because of what happened. It just...brings bad memories and I started getting panic attacks and things like that because of it.” 

Sunghoon took a deep breath before continuing. 

“He was the sleep paralysis demon I saw just before, I mean, he had the same eyes. The way he bore down on me, glaring at me while driving a knife through my chest. I felt the way it travelled between my ribs and into my heart. It wasn’t painful, because it wasn’t real of course. I knew that. But, “ Sunghoon paused to catch his breath, “I felt the air leave my lungs and it just...seeing his face again was so...oh God. My parents don’t know about this either. I’m worried they’ll kick me out of the family for being gay.”

He was now scratching at the top of his feet, scoring white patterns into the skin. He’d felt like just recounted his entire life to Jake, a boy who he had no affiliation with until a month ago. 

Nervous and anxious, Sunghoon awaited how Jake would formulate his response - probably one of disapproval. And the silence didn’t help appease the thought.

A resigned sob broke the stillness of the air. “If you’re uncomfortable I can sleep on the ground-”

“Hoon. I don’t care, we’re friends right?” Jake interrupted him. “Unless you have feelings for me right now then that would change things, but I’ve only known you for a month so you don’t...right?”

“I don’t think about you that way, no. You’re right.” Sunghoon wiped his tears with the back of his hand. Jake’s disclaimer was anxiety-brewing but he should be grateful that his initial reaction wasn’t a direct criticism about his sexuality. 

“Just don’t tell my mum you’re gay. Cause I think she’ll go apeshit knowing that you slept in the same room as me.”

Sunghoon responded with a sad nod. He was well aware, avid churchgoers at that age would not understand. Or try to anyhow. He had already gotten a taste of the looks of hatred scorching into his frail mind, to the point where he’d convinced himself after the incident with Jungwon that he wouldn’t come out to anyone so straightforwardly. 

Well, that aged like spoiled milk.

A subtle orange glow filled the bedroom as Jake switched on the bedside lamp, before turning to place a hand on Sunghoon’s shoulder.

“Hey, Sunghoon I’m serious. I’m not like mum, although I’m not gay either, so I don’t know what you’ve been through exactly but I can imagine how hard it must’ve been for you, especially in a place like Korea.” 

The light was bright enough to highlight the genuinity in his eyes, irises unwavering and focused, reflecting his utmost sincerity. It was also bright enough to highlight the tears that threatened to spill from Sunghoon’s own.

“제윤아…” _(Jaeyoonah...)_

“Hey…” Jake hesitated for a split second, but brought Sunghoon into a hug once again. “Thank you for telling me Sunghoon. Also sorry if I made you accidentally come out to me. I didn’t really know, you didn’t have to, but you are so brave for that.”

Sunghoon pulled away slightly to wipe the wetness away from his face. “No Jake. I’m _so_ happy I told you. I’m so thankful that you don’t hate me.”

“Shh let’s not think about what he said to you. He’s deluded. Who cares if you’re gay, we’re all human therefore you are valid Sunghoon. Please believe what I say.”

And just like that, Sunghoon felt the tears that he’d tried to keep at bay crash past its floodgates. He pulled Jake closer to him, dropping his head and bursting into muffled sobs, his lower lip trembling against the firm shoulder of his friend. 

Each breath he let out felt like a sigh, one after another, with relief coursing through his shaking body, slowly calming himself down. And Jake let him have his moment. Let him draw out the pent-up emotions he’d been keeping to himself all this time the past half year or so.

“I’m so glad I came out to you. You’re a wonderful friend Jake.” A hiccup followed the mumbling, lightening the mood as Jake let out a light chuckle whilst patting Sunghoon reassuringly on the back.

“I’ll do you one better. You’re an amazing _best_ friend Sunghoon!”

He watched Sunghoon raise his head, his eyes glossy and red from crying, but he’d managed to reciprocate Jake’s smile - it was like a telepathic promise between the two boys that things would be better. 

_Best friend..._

Once Sunghoon had somewhat retained his composure, they laid back into their beds after Jake changed his shirt, as it was quite soaked with his tears. Sunghoon could only look apologetically but immediately averted his gaze as Jake stripped the top in front of him and slipped on a new shirt.

“I wasn’t kidding when I said I had many sets of pyjamas.” Jake laughed before turning off the lamp and settling into bed himself, closing his eyes straight away. “Anyways we should sleep for real. I don’t wanna screw up my sleep schedule cause I got chur...nevermind.”

Sunghoon appreciated the thought but he really wasn’t triggered by the idea of church, it was more the ‘soulmate’ aspect of his tragedy. 

It was 2am. It really took him two hours to unravel his past, plus there was a fair amount of crying involved. Thank God it was the weekend. He just hoped his eyelids wouldn’t swell up too much the next morning.

The slight pit-a-pat of the rain could be heard against the window - yes, finally it had begun to drizzle outside. Within a few seconds it seemed as if the crickets had all simultaneously decided to cease their song, the chirping fading away gradually, however it was just the human brain blocking out every external sound. 

Sunghoon loved this part, the ‘fade-out’ as it was termed. It was like God was turning down the volume knob of nature’s radio, although the rain was always last to be deafened. 

Silence was slowly consuming his mind, but Sunghoon could still faintly hear the soft breathing of his friend next to him. Perhaps the weather was being fickle tonight with the rain stopping and starting repeatedly, delaying the ‘deafening’ process. 

“Goodnight. Don’t let the bed bugs bite...” 

He managed to catch Jake’s whisper, before finally giving into sleep.

Dots of rain on the window continued to form, merging into small streams. And the crickets remained silent throughout the night.

_Six months haven’t passed yet, right?_

.

.

.

###  **cyclone debbie [3]**

##### 사이클론 데비 

**Author's Note:**

> Wheeee thank you for reading <3  
> I literally had to search up proper pool breaking techniques (+ the tierlist for Tekken my goodness) for this lmfao OTL.  
> Also before anyone calls me out, as an Aussie born Korean raised in Aus I'm heavily referencing my experiences esp in regards to the casual racism and shit so don't go at me too much for that.  
> Luckily I have the story actually planned out so hopefully I won't bail out on this one.  
> Comments are always appreciated, hope I can stay motivated :)
> 
> [ twt ](https://twitter.com/potatogarden)  
> [ cc ](https://curiouscat.qa/potatogarden)  
> my other fics (all e-rated, pls proceed with caution):  
> [ 🐧x🦅 [E]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28630143) | [ 🐧x🦅 [E]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28810464) | [ 🐧x🦮 [E]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28504452) | [ 🦊x🦅 [E] ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28993266) | [ 🐧x🦊x🦅 [E] ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28669974) | [ 🐈x🦅 [E] ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29063610) | [ 🐧x🦊 [E]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29599392) | [ 🐈x🦅 [E comic] ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29392110) | [ 🐈x🐧x🦅 [E comic]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29214330)


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